Monthly Archives: August 2017

By CHARLIE DENISON | Reporter…
Looking over at the array of breadboards shaped like the state of Montana, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch therapeutic youth mentor Dave Gill said he felt a great deal of pride, as these breadboards were made by YBGR youth.
These breadboards are significant for many reasons, Gill said, especially because of where they come from: the old CHS Farmers Elevator.
“The whole idea started with [YBGR targeted case manager] Cathy Phillips,” Gill said. “She thought it’d be cool to take wood from the old granary made 60-70 years ago and make something out of it. She also managed to get wood donated to YBGR to make it happen.”
Phillips’ daughter is a manager at CHS. A conversation between the two of them set the “Grain Elevator Heritage Project” in motion. They agreed the wood shouldn’t go to waste, especially significant pieces with ripples from being grain blasted.
After the wood was donated, Gill took the concept and ran with it, working with the youth and helping them do their best.
Such a project came naturally to Gill.
“I’ve been working with wood since I was old enough to operate a drill press (age 12),” he said. “We had a wood shop in the basement growing up.”
Gill said he’s always loved being able to create something, and he saw some of the YBGR youth share his enthusiasm.
“The kids have really enjoyed seeing a project through from start to finish, and enjoyed creating something,” he said. “It’s great to see them feel a sense of accomplishment. I believe it improves their self-esteem and sense of confidence.”
Such a sense of accomplishment was shared by YBGR children of all ages.
“The project started as a way for some of the older YBGR children to practice vocational skills, but it became much more,” Phillips said. “There are various parts of the project any age can work on. We have kids putting on finish and little kids attaching tags. It’s been a nice opportunity for the children to practice skills they need to have, such as following directions.”
Wanting the project to be special, Gill and Phillips came up with the idea of breadboards shaped like the state. They weren’t hard to make, and they honored Montana.
“The Montana shape is fitting and symbolic of the granaries,” Gill said. “It’s part of our history and part of our heritage.”
The breadboards are more than just a symbol of Montana heritage, Gill said; they symbolize what YBGR – a nonprofit focused on preparing youth for life – is all about.
“We work with the youth of the community and help them in any way we can,” he said.
Such a project is also a positive reflection on the community, Gill said, as Fergus High School let the children use their facility to make them.
“That was really helpful,” Gill said. “I hope we can continue this relationship in the future.”
One thing is for sure, Gill added: by doing this project, they are able to preserve a piece of regional agricultural history. Even if the YBGR children don’t quite understand its significance, there are many in the community who do.
YBGR youth have made approximately 40 breadboards now, and more will be made, as there is still plenty of wood. Also, the breadboards are for sale. CHS purchased some and more will be on sale at the YBGR booth during the Chokecherry Festival Saturday, Sept. 9. Proceeds for the breadboards go toward YBGR.
“It stays local and helps the kids,” Gill said.

That attitude fits perfectly with the total eclipse of the sun on Monday. Around Christmastime in 2016, Ron and his sister, Kathleen O’Leary of Riverton, Wyo., were talking about the eclipse. Riverton will experience the eclipse at 100 percent at 11:39 a.m. on Monday.

Folks around Riverton started planning early for the onslaught of viewers looking for a place to stay and ways to celebrate the eclipse. There will be a two-day Dark in the Park festival in Riverton on Saturday and Sunday. Kathleen O’Leary is allowing some camping on her ranchland but has no more spaces available.

Encouraged by his sister, O’Leary put his artistic side to work to make souvenirs. A ceramic artist, he created a wall plaque in the shape of the sun with the date of the eclipse painted around it. A perfectionist who loves color and design, O’Leary hand-paints each sun, using various color combinations to create different effects. Each one is different.

“What’s funny is these items that took the most time and resources aren’t always the ones people like. One day, two different people said their favorite was one I considered my worst,” O’Leary said.

He calls one the goth plaque because it has no bright colors, just black, white and gray. Another has a vintage look, which he calls “retro road sign.” It is painted with a patina made with iron oxide.

O’Leary’s teenage daughter, Lilly, and his partner, Linda Hofer, helped with some of the painting. But for the most part, it’s been O’Leary hunched over a table in his backyard studio painting the sun.

O’Leary has taught art and music at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch for 18 years and his studio reflects that with shelves of ceramic work he can’t bear to part with.

Over the summer O’Leary traveled through central Oregon, where the eclipse will also be 100 percent. Some of the shops took his sun plaques and others asked about items like T-shirts and coffee mugs.

As soon as he returned to Billings, O’Leary got busy again, designing solar eclipse T-shirts, coffee mugs, key chains, flashlights, book bags and eventually a poster showing a bison with the date of the eclipse and the longitude and latitude of Riverton. The items are for sale at ronald-oleary.squarespace.com, Etsy or will be sold in Capser, Wyoming, on Thursday and in Riverton this weekend.

“What’s kind of fun to think about is all the different designs people have come up with. There are 23 pages on Etsy of solar eclipse merchandise, all the way from tacky to real nice artistic designs,” O’Leary said.

O’Leary has never seen a solar eclipse and he said he’s getting excited for the experience on Monday.